You have been tasked by your organisation to write a project proposal for a new and exciting experiment. This is a common task we are asked to do across the sciences. In this individual assessment you will be designing an experiment for a proposal investigating a question that interests you. The assessment is designed for you to apply the knowledge gained in Part 1 of this Unit. It is worth 10 marks (equivalent to 10% of you total assessment marks). The assessment can be submitted as a WORD document, HTML document, or PDF document and will be submitted through Turn-it-in. Assessments with greater than 20% similarity will be considered suspicious and may result in penalties.
Guide for assessment
Each task below has a point score associated with it. To earn an HD you will need to provide a very detailed but succinct descriiption of the experimental design accounting for fundamental principles of experimental design (replication, randomisation, controlling variation), show that you have thought very thoroughly on all assumptions, potential confounders and limitations of your design, demonstrate an understanding of the type of data required and how to record it, consider which type of analysis is appropriate for the experiment, and provide any relevant citations which may aid in providing background to the problem being investigated.
In order to complete this task you will need to work through and address the following structure. Writing should be succinct and you have a limit of 3 pages, but you may need fewer. Use the word suggestions as a guide below. Use diagrams where appropriate. PLEASE NOTE: Figures, tables and references are not included in the page limit.
Project proposal structure:
Background (~500 words): Provide background on the problem/question you wish to investigate. The background should provide the reader the information for why you are proposing your hypothesis, which stakeholders (your science discipline, society and/or industry) may be interested in your research, and be supported by references.
Provide a testable hypothesis as a statement and briefly comment/predict what you expect to find.
Methods (~500 words):
Detail methods indicating the experimental design (how you will collect the data, units of the data (variables), equipment required, how you will introduce randomisation and replication) such that it will be easy for anyone to undertake the research. Diagrams maybe used to aid clarity. Follow the structure of a scientific paper method section, not a laboratory protocol. Use sub-headings to organise this section, where appropriate.
Give an overview of what types of statistical analysis you will use and any assumptions that will need to be met.
What variables will you measure and how will they be used in the statistical analysis?
Significance (~200-300 words): Describe the significance of your proposed work. e.g. how does it add to our knowledge and/or any practical benefit to the environment, society and/or industry.
References (More than three): there should be more than one reference cited here. You will have references in the background and at least one in the significance section.
Please make sure you cite the article correctly and place references at the end of your HTML/WORD/PDF file. Please use Harvard referencing system and see the University Library site for referencing guidelines.
Note only primary literature is to be cited. e.g. books and scientific journal articles.
Not sure where to look for references?
As a starting point, the following links can help answer questions such as:
“What is a Journal article?” – Finding Journal Articles, University of Sydney Library
“How can I tell if I have actually found a journal article? (Links to an external site.)” – How to Find Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles, Bow Valley College
“What is Google Scholar and how does it work?” – Google Scholar, University of Sydney Library
“Writing scientific research articles: strategy and steps” (Links to an external site.) – How to write scientific journal articles, University of Sydney Library
Types of experiments
You may choose to do a controlled or mensurative experiment. The following is a definition of the two:
“Experiments may be either manipulative or mensurative (Hurlbert 1984). In a manipulative experiment, the experimenter physically manipulates some attribute of the system in a controlled manner, while holding all other attributes constant. The control over variation and confounding factors allows the experimenter to attribute observed differences to the imposed treatments. In contrast, in a mensurative study, the ‘‘experimenter’’ simply observes or measures the system at different locations or times. In a mensurative experiment, the treatment is the different conditions in space or time.” (McGarigal and Cushman 2002)
McGarigal, K. and Cushman, S.A., 2002. Comparative evaluation of experimental approaches to the study of habitat fragmentation effects Download Comparative evaluation of experimental approaches to the study of habitat fragmentation effects. Ecological applications, 12(2), pp.335-345.
Hurlbert, S.H., 1984. Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments Download Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments. Ecological monographs, 54(2), pp.187-211.
An example of a mensurative experiment might be :”Ants are more active during low pressure atmospheric conditions compared to high pressure atmospheric conditions”
An example of a manipulative experiment might be: “Spiders will catch more insects with a light source placed close to their web than without a light source placed near their web”
Note you could make the ants example manipulative by putting them in enclosures that can be pressurised…
